Flexible packages have been used for some time to provide snack foods to consumers. However, the majority of conventional single serving bags (e.g., approximately 1-2 oz.) do not provide a premium consumer experience when attempting to access and consume the product within. Current small bags typically open at an end seam, and thus grasping and pulling an end seam apart with the hands is not a pleasant and convenient way to open the package. Not only can this prove difficult to do on those packages having extensive end seals, but often times as the end seal gives way to the pulling force of the consumer, the package can open dramatically causing some of the contents to spill from the package. Other times, the pulling force may prove to have been too great when the sides or backseam of the package tears after the end seal gives way to the pulling force. Further, contents within flexible packages opened by the end seam are not easily accessible. Thus, the eating experience is not discreet or clean because the consumer has to dig down into a package in order to reach lower lying product, often through a narrow opening, which results in consumers' hands rubbing against the inside wall of the bag where oil and seasoning may be present.
Thus, there are a number of desirable features that manufacturers have long strived to include in flexible packages used to hold snacks or other food products. One exemplary feature is the ability to reclose a package of a snack food that is only partially eaten, so that the flavor and texture of the product are preserved as long as possible. More specifically, many times not all of a package of snack foods is consumed at one time and thus there is a desire to reclose the package to prevent moisture from causing premature staling and spoilage of the remaining contents, as well as to prevent the contents from spilling from the package and into the consumer's purse, satchel, or other type of bag carrying the remaining package. Many of the recloseable packages disclosed in the prior art utilize a mechanical reclosure means, such as interlocking mechanical profiles whereby interlocking closure means is used to close the package mouth. Use of interlocking strips, however, such as zippers or sliders, is costly and complicates the manufacture of packaging. It would be desirable to have a low-cost alternative.
One approach has been to provide a flexible package with an adhesive reclosure means, whereby at least a portion of the adhesive is adhered to the outside of the package to close the package opening when only part of the product is consumed. Referring to FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, illustrated is a perspective view of a conventional packaging product 100 having a recloseable film 110 that provides the reclosing feature. The conventional recloseable package 100 comprises score lines 120, which pass through all the layers of the film comprising the remainder of the package 100. Aside from the score lines 120, the film 110 has edges 130 around its perimeter that include an adhesive layer 150 that is then affixed over the scored section of the package 100. As seen in FIG. 1A, the peelable film 110 has an area larger than that of the scored section defined by the score lines 120, and comprises a pull tab 140 that is free from adhesive so that a consumer can grip the pull tab 140 with ease. Thus, as the consumer grips the pull tab 140 and pulls it back in the direction of the scored section, the package film tears along the path of least resistance in the direction provided by the perforated score lines 120, creating a large flap on the top side of the package 100. An opening 160 is created in the package 100, and the adhesive layer 150 is exposed as depicted in FIG. 1B. A consumer can then consume a portion of the contents within the package 100 through the opening 160, and then reclose the opening by sticking the adhesive layer 150 back onto the outer layer of the package 100 to reduce product exposure to the surrounding environment.
Unfortunately, the prior art packages with recloseable flaps, such as those depicted in FIGS. 1A and 1B, have a number of significant disadvantages. For example, when attempting to reseal the packages, a consumer must push down along all three edges of the adhesive to adequately seal the bag. This places pressure on a significant portion of the products behind the seal of the bag as the consumer presses down on the package to reclose it. Placing pressure along the bag could cause the consumer to crush the contents remaining in the bag when it is resealed, resulting in a large amount of unwanted broken pieces or crumbs. Also, if maintaining package thickness after opening is less important to consumers as compared to the initial size of the package when carried by consumers, conventional pillow bag packages tend to feel oversized to those consumers when such packages are being carried. Specifically, current pillow bags are sealed in a manner that traps ambient air within the package along with the contents, and this trapped air maintains the package's thickness to protect the product inside from the factory, but that inflated or puffy thickness can make the conventional pillow bag difficult to carry by the consumer. In those situations, a slimmer profile package that still offers a resealing option is not offered by the current market. Also, the thickness of the inflated conventional pillow bags results in less product fitting on a product display when the bags are positioned in-line.
Therefore, there is a need for unique recloseable/resealable packages for snack products that do not suffer from these and other deficiencies found in conventional pillow bags or even those conventional packages that are recloseable. The disclosed principles provide such improved resealable packages.